Sim Shocked By Declining Birth Rates Across All Races
Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin has once again sounded the alarm on declining birth rates in the country, saying it will have wide-ranging effects in the long term.
Citing newly released data from the Statistics Department, Sim noted a declining trend in birth rates across all races from the first quarter of 2024 to its third quarter compared to the same period in 2023.
“This is not a good sign because the total fertility rate (TFR) was only 1.7 in 2023 (the replacement rate is 2.1). That means our fertility rate likely dropped further in 2024.
"This is alarming because the drop is across all ethnicities and the drop is more than 10 percent.
“Fewer babies means less population. This has huge implications for Malaysia in terms of population, productivity, social economy, and all aspects," he said on Facebook today.
Sim added that the Malaysian TFR seems to be dropping fast and the country must come together to reverse the trend.
Data from the Statistics Department showed that birth rates in 2024 declined by 9.4 percent, 10.2 percent, and 12.3 percent in Q1, Q2, and Q3, respectively, compared to the same period in 2023.
Chinese community
Last year, Sim also warned of declining birth rates in the Chinese Malaysian community in particular, urging couples in the community to have more babies.
Although his call raised eyebrows and some amusement, the PKR lawmaker defended himself by saying increased birth rates can contribute to the country and questioned the survival of Chinese vernacular schools if the trend continues.
On the 2024 statistics, Sim said Chinese birth rates continued to fall despite it being the Year of the Dragon, which usually would bring a spike in births in the community.
Birth rates in the Chinese community saw a drop of 18 percent, 11.7 percent, and 6.6 percent for Q1, Q2, and Q3, respectively, compared to the same period in 2023.
"The TFR for Chinese Malaysians in 2023 was only 0.8. This huge drop in the Year of the Dragon sets off all the alarms for the Chinese Malaysian community.
"Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently declared Singapore as going extinct because of its TFR, which was only 0.97. The Chinese Malaysian TFR is even worse!" he said, adding, however, that he does not believe that the Chinese Malaysian community will go extinct. - Mkini
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